Wednesday, May 30, 2012

This Susan Branch print hangs in my bathroom so I read it every morning when I get ready for the day

At one time or another I'm sure all of us have reoccurring thoughts about things we heard our mothers say growing up. I've got a list of sayings, superstitious thoughts or words of wisdom that I heard growing up but there is one that is always on my mind in the month of May.

Growing up my mom said her dad (my grandpa) always told her "if it rains on your head in May, you won't have a headache for the rest of the year."

Me and my grandpa - 1974

Oddly, making sure to play in the rain has always been a serious objective for me. Yes, even as an adult I love going outside in the rain in May with no umbrella.

Are you still listening to mama's words from the past and doing things because "mama said?"

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Last week it caught my eye when Lorrie at Fabric Paper Thread asked the question What Kind of Tree Would You Be? I remember thinking hard about this when I was in seventh grade and on a church retreat. Each of us were given 30 minutes to go to a quiet place to think about the tree that might best represent our spiritual life. It was a memorable exercise for me and one that I continue to think about from time-to-time.

This time of year it's hard not to think about trees. Each spring when driving around Atlanta I think about the beautiful dogwoods and how they add a lace-like quality to our landscape. We've even got a festival named to celebrate the dogwood season. And just after the dogwoods lose their blossoms two beautiful trees make their entrances.

I think of the magnolia tree as a "hat lady." An old-fashioned classic that reminds me so much of the older women in my past - perfectly appointed, delicately scented, perfectly coiffed with a dainty ivory hat. Yes, the magnolia grandiflora enters the season with noticeable beauty. This stately tree is one of my favorites.

Another tree that I love this time of year is the graceful mimosa tree. It's so beautiful to see pink dotting the spring scenery. Sadly this tree is hated by many being labeled invasive by lots of gardeners. Growing up we had a mimosa tree and I loved the delicate fern-like leaves and those beautiful cotton candy puffs of pink. Even more wonderful is the fragrance of this beautiful umbrella tree.

Hydrangeas are blooming like crazy and believe me, I'm enjoying my fair share of these magnificent showy blooms but as I'm enjoying incredible spring days and the beautiful flowers, I'm taking a little quiet time to enjoy the trees.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending a lecture given on the topic of photojournalism presented by Dimitri Beck, editor-in-chief at Polka Magazine.

Polka Magazine is a Paris-based photojournalism magazine.

During the course of the lecture I began to feel a bit guilty just thinking about how quickly and easily I flip through magazines, particularly news magazines, without giving much thought to the talented person behind the camera lens.

Dimitri shared a number of photo spreads that have been published recently, going into detail about the photojournalist, how they went about taking their photos and more specifically in some cases, how they pitched their stories to the magazine.

I wasn't in a hurry to buy a camera but after attending this week's lecture I can't stop thinking about getting a new camera. My camera died about four weeks ago while we were on a weekend excursion. I rushed to buy an inexpensive camera for the weekend and thought it would be fine for the time being. Then a couple of weeks ago, Paris Breakfasts

emailed me about something and offered some great suggestions on getting another camera (now when other bloggers start commenting on how to improve your photos...you know you need some help). I'm still trying to figure out what would work best for me but no doubt, I've got to get a new camera.

Does anyone have any comments, suggestions, pros or cons to help me in making a decision?

Today I'm joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday. Hope you will stop by and see what other bloggers are up to.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Today was a big day for my neighborhood and for the city of Atlanta. Our airport, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, opened a new international terminal.

Our neighborhood is just around the corner from the airport (I know. It sounds noisy but I promise you, it's not) and we love being near the airport. My oldest son and DIL are both air traffic controllers so I'm always excited to see the ATC tower.

Delta Airlines headquarters is less than a mile from my house so of course we love Delta for all the great things they do for our city and our community.

My husband and I decided to drive over and see how things look on opening day. Our family loves to travel and we've had plenty of discussion trying to figure out who'll get to fly out first. Looks like my oldest son wins. He flies in from Germany in just a few weeks. Yay!! Now I'm wondering which one of us will be next.

You were the 19th person to leave a comment and your number was selected by my friend the Random Number Generator.

You are the lucky winner of the beautiful candle from Cartini!! I'll be contacting you by email so that I can send you your beautiful candle gift.

Growing up did you have a powder puff and bath powder set? In my younger days I would often get a nice bath set for my birthday and I loved them. The last dusting powder set I received was probably 15 years ago and today my husband surprised me with a Shelley Kyle powder puff set from Cartini Home. This set is gorgeous and for all those Frenchies out there, this is a must have. Such a thoughtful and beautiful gift from my Hossy.

And speaking of old-fashioned, yesterday my husband treated me to a day of reminiscing poking around Macon, Georgia. I love the beautiful city of Macon and while it is not my hometown, I grew up nearby and spent a lot of time there in my youth. It's hard to decide between Macon and Savannah when trying to choose Georgia's most beautiful city but there is no doubt both cities are worth seeing.

Both cities have beautiful handmade brick streets in some of the historic areas.

In some areas of the downtown there are a number of hilltops and I recall growing up there was an old law still on the books that made it illegal to curse on a certain street on Sunday. Apparently those trying to get their horse and buggies up the hill to get to church were creating a bad atmosphere for worshippers.

Saint Joseph's Catholic Church - from Wikipedia

So here is a sampling of scenes from yesterday's drive.

My doctor's office growing up. I hated the shots but love the doctor and his office.

The Hay House

If you are ever passing through Georgia, be sure to plan some time to stop in Macon.Today I'm linking up with The Tablescaper to celebrate her 100th post!!!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

I never met my mother-in-law but thanks to her sister, in some ways I know her. Unfortunately she died while trying to give birth to a baby girl when my husband was not yet 3 years old so he can't remember her. Early in our marriage on my first trip to Beirut, my mother-in-law's sister spent some very special time with me, telling me about Selma and sharing some items from her trousseau (I have several beautiful handmade linens and lingerie). Her family also gave me her china and my father-in-law paid more than what the dishes were worth to package them up and ship them to me.

Set with the demitasse instead of the tea cup

Though this tablescape may lack the artistry and beauty of many bloggers table settings, it makes up for it with love - lot's of it.

There are many things I

cannot tell you about my my husband's mother, Selma but I love her lemonade set. I can just imagine her girlfriends gathering for tea and the trays and tables being set with beautiful hand-embroidered pink doilies and napkins. Had the Noritake dishes she used been sold in the U.S. at the time they were made, the set would have been marked Made in Occupied Japan but because they were purchased in Lebanon, this was not required. There are 24 place settings and the set has all sorts of serving pieces such as this domed dish with a porcelain strainer that my husband calls the olive dish.

We have finger bowls too. I'm not sure that I would know exactly how to use them but I love them simply because they connect me to my husband's family.

Today I'm linking up with Cuisine Kathleen to enjoy the Let's Dish for Mother's Day. Hope your Mother's Day is full of happiness and wonderful memories.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Today there were several other things to I was planning to post about but on my drive home I happened to pass by a new shop near my house so I changed my mind and decided to post about the shop. (Don't you just love those colorful dot wall vases pictured above?)

Getting a new store in the area where I live is a really big deal. Our neighborhood has several unique restaurants (other than franchises) but we don't have shops. The best we have nearby is Scott Antique Market but it's only once a month so you can imagine my excitement today when I discovered Cartini Home!

The store is loaded with soaps, candles, handmade vintage jewelry, kitchen items, cool items, nostalgic items, garden goods, gifts and even candies from the 60's. Carter and Jim are the shopkeepers and my husband and I had a great time talking with them and hearing about some of the local items they sell.

The store is in an old auto repair shop and it's been transformed into a great space. As we were headed out the door Carter and Jim gave me a beautiful Himalayan Trading Post candle (which is made right here in metro Atlanta) for me to giveaway on my blog. So, I will be giving away the lovely candle pictured below on Mother's Day.Please leave a comment so that your name will be entered to win.

Don't you love the candle container? I brought home several other items that I couldn't resist.

Also, for those of you living in the Atlanta area, I'm thinking of holding a bloggers event on the south side later this summer and including Cartini Home in the outing. Email me if you are interested in attending and I'll let you know when I get the event organized.

Today I'm linking up with The Tablescaper to celebrate Seasonal Sunday. Hope you will stop by and see what other bloggers are up to.

About Me

Welcome to Jojo's Joys, a place where I share bits and pieces of my daily living adventures here in Georgia and from lots of other places. I hope you’ll linger a bit to read a post or two and while you are at it, leave me a note and let me know what you've been up to. It’s always nice to hear from blog friends. Some people know me as Cheryl but my sweet granddaughters call me Jojo. Thanks for stopping by – hope to see you again, real soon!